Paper feeding mechanism



Patented Jan. 23, 1934 PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM Diedrich FriedrichSchumacher, Berlin-Britz, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, toInternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application June 13, 1928, Serial No. 285,007,and in Germany January 23, 1928 18 Claims. (01. 235-58) This inventionconcerns accounting machines of a clutch, the associated element 12 ofwhich and has more particular relation to improveis splined to a cardfeeding shaft 13. The gear ments in the line-spacing devices for thepaper train 14 is driven by shaft 13 and is commonly strip receiving theitemsand totals thereof. used in tabulating machines for feeding cardsto It is a broad object of the present invention to analyzing brushes byfeeding rollers 15. In ad- '00 provide improved and simplified meanswhereby dition, one of the gears 14 reciprocates a conan extra linespacing operation occurs upon a necting rod 16 which is similar to thatordichange in the group classification of items. narily used intabulators for drawing cards sin- It is a further object of the presentinvention gly from a stack 17 into the machine by the to provideimproved and simplified means whereusual picker 18, where they areengaged by the 68 by the items and the total of a group of items feedrollers 15, cards being fed as long as the appear together and tofurther differentiate the clutch connection is established. totalprinted from the next group of items printed As the cards are fed to theanalyzing brushes by effecting an extra line spacing operation after theperforations are sensed and the items reprea total printing operation.sented thereby are transposed to the registering More specifically it isan object of the present mechanism as well as to the printing devices.invention to provide improved and simplified Prior to each printingoperation it is desirable, means whereby a line spacing operation of theof course, to space the sheet to prevent over-.- paper occurs inaddition to that preceding the printing. The preferred mechanism foreffecting 20 printing of' the total whereby a blank space sepspacing ofthe paper'comp'rises a pair of ratchet arates the total from the nextitem to be printed. wheels 19 and 20 carried by the shaft 21 which Incarrying out the present invention duplicate supports the platen roller22 around which the paper feeding devices are provided, one normallypaper strip 23 is partially wound. Associated functioning upon each itemlisting operation. with ratchet wheel 19 is an actuating lever 24 25 Thesupplemental paper feeding device is norhating a tooth 25 adapted to beretained in opermally inoperative but functions at the initiaative eng Wthe ratchet W ee t h tion of the total printing cycle and again at by aspring 27. When'the actuating lever 24 is the termination of the totalprinting cycle, after ai by a C 8 0 S a t 13 the teeth 25 Of the whichtime the paper is given a, step of movelever 24 slips idly over theratchet wheel 19 with- 30 ment by the regular paper feeding devices toout effecting any movement of the platen roller 85. receive the firstitem of the next group of items. However, W lever 24 is IeStOred y Theextra line spacing movement provides a Spring occasioned y the roller 00f lever 24 blank space which separates the total printed droppi Off e hpoint of the ca the from the first item of a succeeding group. ver 24will partially rotate the ratchet wheel 19,

36 Referring t the dr ing h rein th is shaft 21 and platen 22 to spacethe paper after shown what is considered to be the preferred which theitem is P This Operation e f rm of the invention; sues upon each cardfeeding cycle so that as each Fig. l is a perspective diagrammatic viewof item p esen ed by a card is Printed it is Sui the card feeding andline spacing devices comably Sp from the Preceding m.

40 prising single embodiment of t present cooperatively associated withthe ratchet vention; wheel 20 in a similar manner is an actuating le-Fig. 2 illustrates some of the parts shown in 31 but it Wil1 be Observedthat, du m Fi 1 i th normal r 13 position of th t printing operationsits roller 32 is normally (see later and showing a certain memberunlatched Fig. 4) held t Of gement with a cam 33 45 and in readiness tofall urged by, its related a so driven y the card feeding S a t 13. Thisspring; p relation is effected by the latching of an arm-34 Fig. 3 is aconcrete example of a record strip fixed to a shaft 35 which shaftcarries at its end printed by the present machine. an arm 36 articulatedto the lower end of lever Figs. 4-7 are different views in side -eleva-31. The latching relationship just referred to is 50 tion which disclosethe configuration of a parpreferably effected by an arm 37 which isurged ticular cam and its relation to a certain memby a spring 37a tonormally abut the clutch eleh r, ment 12, the arm 37 having its upperend under In the drawing, reference character 10 desthe free extremityof arm 34. ignates a constantly rotating shaft of the tabu.- Tabulatingmachines are ordinarily equipped 5 lating machine to which is fixed oneelement 11 with control mechanism whereby a total is automaticallyprinted after the last card of a group of cards of like classificationis tabulated. It will be observed then, that as long as the successivecards are of the same classification or group control number, themachine continues listing of items. When a card having a different groupcontrol number is presented to the analyzing brushes certain mechanismcomes into play to cause stoppage of the feeding of cards and thesetting up of the total taking devices of the machine to take a total ofthe items that have been accumulated from the cards of the previousgroup, all as explained in the patent to Lake 1,600,413.

It is desirable, of course, that in order to readi- 1y identify thetotal with the group of related items it be suitably spaced by a blankspace from the next item and, in the present instance, this isaccomplished by the mechanism described as follows:

When card groups change, the feeding of cards is discontinued and in thepresent instance; this is effected by a controlling member 38, the upperend of which has a suitable connection to clutch element 12 and whichmember is shifted to the left (Fig. 2) by any suitable electrical ormechanical means whenever card groups change. In the shifted position ofmember 38, shaft 13 is disconnected from driving shaft 10. As clutchelement 12 is shifted, latching arm 3"! will be rocked, disengaging itsupper end from the'free extremity of arm 34 whereupon spring 39 willdraw the actuating lever 31 downwardly until roller 32 strikes the point40' of cam 33 (see Fig. 5) to cause a partial rotation of shaft 21 andplaten roller 22, immediately spacing the paper so that the total to besubsequently printed will be printed in the space provided by theoperation just described and immediately under the last item of th roup.

The total printing cycle-occurs during the time shafts and 13 areunclutched at which time no card feeding operation takes place. At thetermination of the total printing cycle shafts 10 and 13 aresubsequently clutched by the reverse shifting of the member 38. However,arm 37 does not follow the movement-of clutch element 12 as it isprevented by the engagement of said arm with the arm 34 which is stillin its lowered position. Upon a partial rotation of the shaft 13synchronous with the initiation of the next card feeding cycle roller 32will drop off the point 40' of cam 33 (see Fig. 6) partially rotatingratchet wheel to suitably blank space the printed total from the firstof the items pertaining to the next group of cards.

At some point during the first card cycle a projection or'the highestpoint of the cam 33 will engage roller 32 rocking shaft 35 to enable arm37 to be urged by spring 37a to a position abutting clutch element 12but with its upper extremity beneath the arm 34 to re-latch arm 34 inits normal elevated position (see Fig. 7). At substantially thetermination of the first card cycle, cam 28 will effect a line spacingmovement of the paper which space will be taken up.

ing printed one after the other.

erations of a record sheet during successive item printing operations, anormally latched supplemental paper feeding device, and means wherebythe unlatching of the supplemental paper feeding device effects anadditional line spacing operation.

2. A machine of the class described comprise ing separate trains ofmechanism for effecting paper feeding operations, a common driving shafttherefor, one of said trains having an inoperative relationship with thedriving shaftvand means whereby a paper feed operation occurs prior toestablishing an operative relationship between the last mentioned trainand the driving shaft.

3. A machine of the class described including means for effecting linespacing operations of a record sheet during successive itei'n printingoperations, a supplemental paper feeding device for effecting anadditional line spacing operation, driving means therefor comprising acam and means for preliminarily feeding the record strip prior toestablishing a cooperative relationship between the supplemental paperfeeding device and said cam.

4. A machine of the class described comprising separate trains ofmechanism for effecting line spacing operations of a record sheet one ofsaid trains being normally ineffective, a common shaft therefor andmeans whereby the ineffective train is rendered operable in a pluralityof successive steps of operation, one of said steps occurring priortoestablishing an operative relationship between the ineffective trainand said shaft.

5. A machine of the class described comprising in combination a platen,means for effecting line spacing operations of a record sheet byoperating the platen during listing operations and supplemental meansfor effecting line spacing operations ineifectiveduringlistingoperations both of said means being operated by a common power shaft andsaid supplemental means effecting an operation of the platen to effect aline spacing operation of an additional extent as an incident to totaltaking operations.

6. A record controlled tabulator, including a shaft for driving the cardfeeding mechanism and listing mechanism, a paper spacing devicecomprising means operated by the shaft for effecting paper spacing inpredetermined increments during listing operations and means adjusted bythe shaft for effecting extra paper spacing both at the beginning and atthe end of a listing run.

'7. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a shaftoperated during listing operations, means operated thereby for effectinga line spacing operation during each listing operation, a supplementalline spacing means and means whereby the latter is set for operation byan additional line spacing operation.

8. In a machine of the class described, in combination', a normallylatched line spacing device, a device operable during total takingoperations, means whereby said device unlatches the line spacing device,and means whereby the line unlatching of the line spacing device effectsthe line spacing operation. .1

9. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means forfeeding a record strip during item listing operations, separate meansfor feeding the record strip an additional amount to separate the lastof a group of items from the following printed total, a common powershaft for operating both feeding means, and means whereby said powershaft causes the operation of the last named feeding means whereby thelatter is operable to effect successive record strip feeding operationswhile the first named feeding means is ineffective to accomplish arecord strip feeding operation.

10. Ina machine of the class described, in combination, a line spacingdevice operated during each listing operation, a supplemental linespacing device, means whereby the latter is set for operation during alisting operation, and means operable during a total taking operationfor causing the supplemental device to operate.

11. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a line spacingdevice operated during each listing operation, a supplemental linespacing device, means whereby the supplemental line spacing device isset for operation, during a listing operation and means whereby thelatter is subsequently effective in a plurality of steps of operation.

12. A record controlled machine having a card feeding mechanism operableduring item listing operations controlled by classified record cards, incombination with a line spacing device operated for each item listingoperation, a supplemental line spacing device, and means whereby thelatter device is set for operation during the first listing operationwhich follows a change in classification of record cards.

13. In a machine of the class described the combination with a platen,of a train of mechanism for eiiecting line spacing operations of arecord sheet during item printing operations by operating the platen,means comprising a separate train of mechanism for operating the platento effect an additional line spacing of the record sheet when a total isprinted, and a rotatable driving shaft of the machine for both trains ofmechanism.

14. In a machine of the class described the combination with a platen, atrain of mechanism for effecting line spacing operations of a recordsheet by operating the platen during item printing operations, meanscomprising a separate train of mechanism for operating the platen toeffect an additional line spacing of the record when a total is printed,a rotatable shaft, and means whereby said shaft in its rotation controlsthe operation of both of said spacing mechanisms in an alternatingsequence.

15. In a machine of the class described thecombination with'a train ofmechanism for effecting line spacing operations of a record sheet, ofmeans comprising a separate train of mechanism for eifecting anadditional spacing of the record sheet when a total is printed, a driveshaft of the machine common to both of said mechanisms, and meanswhereby said shaft in its rotation causes the last named means to beeffective after a total is printed while the first mentioned train ofmechanism is ineffective to accomplish a line spacing operation.

16. Ina machine of the class described the combination with a device'foreffecting line spacing operations of a record sheet during successiveitem printing operations, of a normally latched device for effecting anadditional line spacing operation, means for latching said device, meanswhereby the unlatching of the additional line spacing device effects aline spacing operation and means for displacing the latching means tounlatch the additional line spacing device when a total is to be printedon the sheet.

17. In a record controlled machine, the combination witlra shaft fordriving the card feeding mechanism, of a paper spacing device operatedby the shaft for spacing the paper when listing items from the cards; asupplemental paper feeding device and means for operating it, and meansoperated by the shaft during a listing operation for adjusting saidsupplemental paper feeding device in position to be operated 'by itsoperating means.

18. In a record controlled machine, the combination with a shaft fordriving the card feeding mechanism, of a spacing device driven by saidshaft for separating the items represented by the cards, and meansdriven by said shaft during a listing operation for causing anadditional spacing operation after a total has been 120 DIEDRICHFRIEDRICH SCHUMACHER.

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